Unified Interior Regions
Hawaii
The Pacific Region has nine USGS Science Centers in California, Nevada, and Hawaii. The Regional Office, headquartered in Sacramento, provides Center oversight and support, facilitates internal and external collaborations, and works to further USGS strategic science directions.
States L2 Landing Page Tabs
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 26, 3:00 p.m. HST
Map as of 3:00 p.m. HST, May 26.
May 25—Thermal map of fissure system and lava flows
This thermal map shows the fissure system and lava flows as of 12:15 pm on Friday, May 25.
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 24 2:00pm HST
Map as of 2:00 p.m. HST, May 25.
May 24—Thermal map of fissure system and lava flows
This thermal map shows the fissure system and lava flows as of 12:15 pm on Thursday, May 24.
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 24 at 2:20 p.m. HST
Locations of fissures and an ‘a‘ā flow
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 23 at 12:00 p.m. HST
Locations of fissures and an ‘a‘ā flow
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. HST
Locations of fissures and an ‘a‘ā flow
May 22—Thermal map of fissure system and lava flows
Thermal map shows the fissure system and lava flows. The primary lava flow originates from Fissure 22, but a new flow has been active over the past day from the Fissure 6 area.
Radar images show enlargement of summit eruptive vent
Series shows changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano
May 21—Thermal map of fissure system and lava flows
Thermal map shows the fissure system and lava flows. The primary lava flows originate from the Fissure 20-22 area.
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 21 at 8:00 a.m. HST
Locations of fissures and an ‘a‘ā flow
Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. HST
Locations of fissures and an ‘a‘ā flow
Whole-rock and glass major-element geochemistry of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, near-vent eruptive products: September 1994 through September 2001
This report presents major-element geochemical data for glasses and whole-rock aliquots among 523 lava samples collected near the vent on Kilauea's east rift zone between September 1994 and October 2001. Information on sample collection, analysis techniques and analytical standard reproducibility are presented as a PDF file, which also includes a...
Thornber, Carl R.; Sherrod, David R.; Siems, David F.; Heliker, Christina C.; Meeker, Gregory P.; Oscarson, Robert L.; Kauahikaua, James P.
Streamflow and Suspended-Sediment Loads Before, During, and After H-3 Highway Construction, North Halawa, Haiku, South Fork Kapunahala, and Kamooalii Drainage Basins, Oahu, Hawaii, 1983-99
A long-term study (1983?99) was conducted to determine the effects of the H-3 Highway construction on streamflow and suspended-sediment transport on Oahu, Hawaii. Data were collected at five streamflow-gaging stations before, during, and after construction and at two stream-gaging stations during and after construction. Drainage areas at the seven...
Wong, Michael F.; Yeatts, Daniel S.
Surface water quality-assurance plan for the Hawaii District of the U. S. Geological Survey
This District Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Hawaii District for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.
Fontaine, R.A.
Drilling, Construction, Water-Level, and Water-Quality Information for the Kualapuu Deep Monitor Well, 4-0800-01, Molokai, Hawaii
A monitor well was completed in January 2001 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Kualapuu area of central Molokai, Hawaii that allows for monitoring the thicknesses of the freshwater body and the upper part of the underlying freshwater-saltwater transition zone. The well was drilled in cooperation with the State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands...
Oki, Delwyn S.; Bauer, Glenn R.
Rainfall, Streamflow, and Water-Quality Data During Stormwater Monitoring, Halawa Stream Drainage Basin, Oahu, Hawaii, July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001
The State of Hawaii Department of Transportation Stormwater Monitoring Program was implemented on January 1, 2001. The program includes the collection of rainfall, streamflow, and water-quality data at selected sites in the Halawa Stream drainage basin. Rainfall and streamflow data were collected from July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. Few storms...
Presley, Todd K.
Analytical Versus Numerical Estimates of Water-Level Declines Caused by Pumping, and a Case Study of the Iao Aquifer, Maui, Hawaii
Comparisons were made between model-calculated water levels from a one-dimensional analytical model referred to as RAM (Robust Analytical Model) and those from numerical ground-water flow models using a sharp-interface model code. RAM incorporates the horizontal-flow assumption and the Ghyben-Herzberg relation to represent flow in a one-...
Oki, Delwyn S.; Meyer, William
The Response of the Iao Aquifer to Ground-Water Development, Rainfall, and Land-Use Practices Between 1940 and 1998, Island of Maui, Hawaii
Ground water pumped from the Iao aquifer has been used for agricultural purposes since 1948, and domestic purposes since 1955. In 1990, the Hawaii State Commission on Water Resource Management established a value of 20 million gallons per day for the sustainable yield of the aquifer. Water-level data from observation wells throughout the aquifer...
Meyer, William; Presley, Todd K.
Sedimentation History of Waimaluhia Reservoir during Highway Construction, Oahu, Hawaii, 1983-98
Nine sedimentation surveys conducted from 1983 to 1998 at Waimaluhia Reservoir determined the rate of sediment accumulation in the reservoir during H-3 Highway construction upstream of the reservoir. Rates of storage-capacity loss ranged from 1.1 acre-feet per year between 1983 and 1988 to 4.9 acre-feet per year between 1988 and 1992. The average...
Wong, Michael F.
Statistical Summary of Hydrologic and Water-Quality Data from the Halawa, Haiku, and Kaneohe Drainage Basins Before, During, and After H-3 Highway Construction, Oahu, Hawaii, 1983-99
This report provides statistical summaries of rainfall, streamflow, suspended-sediment, and water-quality data collected in the Halawa, Haiku, and Kaneohe drainage basins before, during, and after construction of the H-3 Highway on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Methods of data collection also are described. Data collected during water years 1983...
Wong, Michael F.; Young, Stacie T.M.
Seismic hazard in Hawaii: High rate of large earthquakes and probabilistics ground-motion maps
The seismic hazard and earthquake occurrence rates in Hawaii are locally as high as that near the most hazardous faults elsewhere in the United States. We have generated maps of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration (SA) (at 0.2, 0.3 and 1.0 sec, 5% critical damping) at 2% and 10% exceedance probabilities in 50 years. The...
Klein, F.W.; Frankel, A.D.; Mueller, C.S.; Wesson, R.L.; Okubo, P.G.
Site Selection for a Deep Monitor Well, Kualapuu, Molokai, Hawaii
Management of the ground-water resources near Kualapuu on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, is hindered by the uncertainty in the vertical salinity structure in the aquifer. In the State of Hawaii, vertical profiles of ground-water salinity are commonly obtained from deep monitor wells, and these profiles are used to estimate the thicknesses of the...
Oki, Delwyn S. Gravitational stability of three-dimensional stratovolcano edifices
Catastrophic flank collapses have occurred at many stratovolcanoes worldwide. We present a three-dimensional (3-D) slope stability analysis for assessing and quantifying both the locations of minimum edifice stability and the expected volumes of potential failure. Our approach can search the materials underlying a topographic surface, represented...
Reid, M.E.; Christian, S.B.; Brien, D.L.
Coqui frog on a red ti plant leaf
A coqui frog rests on a red ti plant leaf. Native to Puerto Rico, coqui are an invasive species in Hawaii.
GPS survey is completed annually on Mauna Loa
A high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) survey is completed annually on Mauna Loa. This station was occupied for a period of three days to supplement the continuously operating GPS stations on the volcano. A beautiful view of Mauna Kea (in distance) could seen from this site during the GPS survey.
small amounts of sulfur dioxide
Only small amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are currently being released from Kīlauea, but they chemically react with each other (oxidation-reduction reaction) to form the bright yellow sulfur deposits visible on the crater walls within Halema‘uma‘u. The current low sulfur emission rates at Kīlauea have contributed to
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3D Model of Pu`u `Ō`ō
This 3D model of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater was constructed from thermal images taken during a recent helicopter overflight. White areas show warm spots in the crater. Despite the absence of active lava in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, changes at the crater have continued since magma drained from beneath it on April 30, 2018. The shape of the crater continues to change through occasional small
Rockfalls continue to change the shape of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater
This video was taken during an overflight of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano's middle East Rift Zone. No major changes were observed, but the shape of the crater continues to be altered by continued rockfalls.
test flight of an unmanned aerial system
A USGS pilot and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemist prepare to conduct a test flight of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) on Kīlauea Volcano in November 2018. This UAS was outfitted with a prototype miniaturized multi-gas sensor for the detection of volcanic gases emitted by Kīlauea, including sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
Lava flow thickness 2018
This preliminary thickness map of Kīlauea Volcano's 2018 lower East Rift Zone lava flows was calculated by subtracting pre-eruption ground surface elevations from post-eruption ground surface elevations mapped with USGS Unmanned Aerial System (drone) flights. The drones acquired 2,800 aerial photos from which 1.5 billion common points were automatically selected by Surface
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Windmills at sunset, Oʻahu
Turbines at a wind energy site on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.
UAS pilots at Kilauea
Department of Interior UAS pilots from left to right – Elizabeth Pendleton (USGS, Woods Hole, MA), Colin Milone (Office of Aviation Services, AK), John Vogel (USGS; Flagstaff, AZ), Sandy Brosnahan (USGS, Woods Hole, MA), Brandon Forbes (USGS; Tucson, AZ), Chris Holmquist-Johnson (USGS; Fort Collins, CO), Hannah Dietterich (USGS; Anchorage, AK), and Emily Sturdivant (USGS,
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Fissure 8 cone and 8-mile lava flow
An aerial view, collected from a USGS UAS, of Hawai‛i’s fissure 8 cone, and the start of the 8-mile lava flow to reach the ocean entry point.
Hovering Above—UAS’ Role in the 2018 Kīlauea Volcano Eruption Response
The 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption marked the first time the federal government used Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to assist in an eruption response in the United States. The UAS were used to survey areas otherwise inaccessible or too hazardous for field crews or manned aircraft, collect multiple types of data, and provide 24/7 real-time situational awareness at Kīlauea
Hovering Above—UAS’ Role in the 2018 Kīlauea Volcano Eruption (AD)
The 2018 Kīlauea Volcano eruption marked the first time the federal government used Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to assist in an eruption response in the United States. The UAS were used to survey areas otherwise inaccessible or too hazardous for field crews or manned aircraft, collect multiple types of data, and provide 24/7 real-time situational awareness at Kīlauea
"What's happening inside the volcano?" is just one of many questions asked about Kīlauea's ongoing lower East Rift Zone eruption. Looking at the geochemistry of erupted lava can help us answer these questions.
Since May 3, 2018, Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone eruption has destroyed more than 700 structures, covered more than 32 sq km (12.4 sq mi) of land with black lava, and added about 700 acres of new land to the island. Yet, remarkably, injuries had been few.
Reviews Kīlauea Volcano's ongoing lower East Rift Zone eruption, focusing on the fissure 8 vent, channel, and ocean entry, and describing a credible set of future scenarios and uncertainties, as guide for managing hazards and risks.
A variety of hydrovolcanic explosions may occur as basaltic lava flows into the ocean.
For many Hawaii residents, interactions with Kīlauea Volcano's eruptions is through vog—a hazy mixture of sulfur dioxide gas and sulfate particles. However, sulfur on Kīlauea is not limited to vog components.
We are currently witnessing extraordinary events at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. For weeks the summit has subsided both in a continuous fashion and in incremental and jolting drops. As Kīlauea is being reshaped before our eyes, how does the current activity compare to similar collapses at other volcanoes in the world, or even to previous collapses at Kīlauea.
A guide for understanding current activity and hazards at and around the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, summarizing activity from late April through June 29, 2018, and possible future outcomes.
A chronologic timeline of Kīlauea events.
At the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Halema‘uma‘u has changed dramatically since early May 2018. As the crater walls and inner caldera slump inward, the depth of Halema‘uma‘u has more than tripled and the diameter has more than doubled.
These FAQs will help answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the nature of Kīlauea's summit activity and the numerous earthquakes occurring in the area.
This "Cooperator Report to the U.S. Coast Guard" addresses hazards associated with the Kamokuna ocean entry, active July 2016—November 2017, on KILAUEA's south flank
On June 18, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff said a sad goodbye to a GPS instrument that had faithfully recorded over 95 m (310 ft) of downward motion of the floor of Kīlauea caldera before losing radio contact.
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Locations
Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
Phone: (808) 985-6420
Fax: (808) 967-8568
Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center
Pacific Islands Water Science Center
Phone: 808-690-9600
Fax: 808-690-9599
O'ahu Field Station
Phone: 808-690-9571
Fax: 808-690-9599
National Wildlife Health Center, Honolulu Field Station
Phone: (808) 792-9520
Fax: (808) 792-9596